Chapter 17: Retribution Has Come

The next day, scumbag Bai arrived at the company as usual. Business had been slow lately, so he took advantage of a quiet afternoon to slack off. He slipped out to a bathhouse to enjoy a 198-yuan service—which, naturally, was filed as a business entertainment expense on the company's tab.

It wasn't until nearly the end of the workday that Bai returned to the office. On his way back, he ran into several colleagues from the sales department. When he tried to greet them, they dodged him as if he were a plague victim.

Gritting his teeth in resentment, Bai muttered, "Qiu Yingying, just you wait."

However, upon reaching the company entrance, he saw a row of large posters, with many colleagues gathered around them.

"What's posted there?" Curious, Bai stepped closer, only to find his colleagues looking at him with bizarre expressions.

Someone patted him mockingly on the shoulder. "Xiao Bai, I didn't realize your track record was so extensive. I'm impressed, truly impressed."

Bai was bewildered. What was going on?

When he finally read the content of the posters, his scalp went numb. The posters detailed exactly how many innocent young girls he had preyed upon during his university years and how many wealthy older women he had been involved with after entering society. The times and locations were crystal clear; many details were so specific that even he had forgotten them.

"This is impossible! Who did this?" Bai tried to tear the posters down, only to find they were attached with heavy-duty adhesive and wouldn't budge. Furthermore, they were printed on non-woven fabric, making them impossible to rip.

"No, this is all fake! Fabrications! Slander!" Bai roared hysterically.

However, the looks his colleagues gave him said everything. The information was too detailed and aligned perfectly with his personal history; it didn't look like random lies.

"Xiao Bai, the manager wants to see you," a colleague suddenly said.

Bai's heart sank. Forgetting the posters, he rushed toward the manager's office.

"You're here. Sit," the manager said indifferently, glancing up at him.

Bai felt a sense of dread. If the manager had just yelled at him, he would have felt relieved. In the workplace, if a superior can't even be bothered to scold you, it means they have completely given up on you.

"Manager, let me explain..."

Before Bai could finish, the manager interrupted him.

"Xiao Bai, this isn't my decision alone. You know our company has always prioritized its image. How about this: you write a resignation letter, and we can all save face."

Bai refused to give up. "Manager, someone is framing me! I haven't done a single thing on those posters. It's all slander! I want to check the surveillance and call the police to catch them!"

The manager sneered. "We've already checked the surveillance; that area is a blind spot. And do you think this isn't big enough? Call the police? If the media gets involved and damages the company's reputation, can you take responsibility for that?"

Feeling utterly stifled, Bai resorted to playing the victim. "Manager, I can't resign. I worked so hard to become a supervisor. I don't even have an accounting certification; where will I find a job like this if I quit? Please, give me one more chance!"

"I told you, this isn't my decision. To tell you the truth, your actions have already reached the boss. No one can protect you. If you're smart, resign immediately. Don't think you can hide your personal expense claims by mixing them into the company accounts. Based on that alone, the company can not only fire you but send you straight to the police station! Think about it yourself!" the manager threatened.

Bai's head buzzed. He left the manager's office in a daze.

At the same time, Qiu Yingying saw the photos of the posters from a colleague and was stunned. She had thought this scumbag had only played her, but she hadn't realized he was this disgusting—he wouldn't even leave fifty-year-old women alone.

A wave of fear washed over her; she was glad she had pulled back in time before things went too far.

Then, Qiu Yingying sent the photos to their group chat. Upon seeing them, Guan Ju'er immediately expressed her fury.

"This scumbag is truly a piece of work!"

Fan Shengmei also sent an angry emoji. "Serves him right! Just exposing him isn't enough; he should be stripped naked and tied to a utility pole to make him famous!"

"Haha, Sister Fan, that's the most sensible thing you've said since we met," Qu Xiaoxiao chimed in.

Andy sent a long string of emojis.

As the women critiqued him in the chat, Fan Shengmei suddenly asked curiously, "Where's Qiu Yan? We're talking so heatedly, why hasn't he said anything? Did he not see it?"

Qin Hao was busy communicating the next steps of a plan with Old Liu. To him, Fan Shengmei's verbal jabs were nothing; physical attacks were the only thing that truly mattered.

On the other side, the manager had processed Bai's resignation with maximum speed. A despondent Bai was preparing to leave the company.

However, as soon as he reached the lobby downstairs, he saw a group of burly men holding photos and identifying people. Bai was curious, until one of the men suddenly shouted

"That's him!"

With a roar, Bai was surrounded by the group of men.

Bai still held onto a shred of hope. "Guys, you've got the wrong person, right? I don't know you!"

"Kid, don't play dumb. I'd recognize you even if you were turned to ash! My wife even said you were her nephew. You bastard, you dare touch my wife? You're blind!"

"Damn it, why waste words? Get him!"

"Holy shit, messing with my wife? You're dead!"

The explosive scene in the lobby immediately attracted a massive crowd. People had seen wives catching cheating husbands many times, but seeing a group of men gang up on a wife's lover was a first—and it looked like there was more than one.

"The guy getting beaten looks pretty young, but the ones hitting him look at least forty or fifty. Are they all 'old man, young wife' types? How do they even get together?"

"Heh, you don't get it? This guy is just a scumbag looking for a free ride. He didn't think about the fact that those wealthy women have husbands. Now he's getting what's coming to him!"

"Whoa, this is intense! Wait, isn't this guy from the finance company upstairs? He always looks so professional; who knew he was a gigolo?"

Initially, Bai was stunned by the flurry of punches. Seeing the situation, he realized he might actually be beaten to death. He frantically screamed for help. The security guards, performing their duties, moved in to intervene, but the group of cuckolded middle-aged men were fueled by rage and refused to let him go easily. The scene descended into chaos.

Bai seized the opportunity to slip through the encirclement and flee. Seeing him escape, the men immediately gave chase.

During the flight, Bai's suit jacket was yanked off, followed by his shirt being torn to shreds. It had to be said that Bai was young; despite being pursued by so many people, he moved like an eel and managed to evade capture for a while.

However, his clothes were now nothing more than rags, and his pants had been stripped off, leaving only his underwear to guard his final shred of dignity.

"You bastard, run again!"

Because so many people were chasing him—some even using cars to block his path—Bai was eventually caught, right in the middle of the street.

"Brothers, this grandson wants to be a 'pretty boy,' right? Let's strip him naked and let him show his face to the world!"

"Great idea! Let's do it!"

Terrified, Bai struggled and wailed, "No, please! I was wrong! Just give me a beating and let me go!"

"Pah! If we beat you to death, we'll end up in the station. You want us to go down with you? In your dreams!"

Bai was moved to tears. Had he known they wouldn't kill him, he wouldn't have run. Now that he was in the middle of a busy street, if he were truly stripped naked in front of everyone, how could he ever show his face again?

"Heh, I happen to have some rope in my car. Hurry up, strip him and tie him up right here!"

"I've got cardboard boxes in my car. Does anyone have a pen? Let's make a sign for this bastard to hang around his neck, so everyone can see the consequences of being a gigolo with other people's wives!"

(End of Chapter)